I think DS is going to be one of the most eco-fashionable toddlers in his group of little friends! Check out this “rockin’” Guitar Hero tee that states “Green Rocks," which we received from OBLI Organics.

OBLI Organics was the vision and creation of sisters Michelle and Melissa. According to their website, OBLI, which stands for On Borrowed Land, Inc., is "committed to offering clothing and products with a positive message about today's environmental issues. OBLI products utilize 100% certified organic resources and are produced using Fair Trade practices.”

OBLI has many other hip and trendy designs. One of my favorites is a onesie which states “One fish, two fish, green world…I wish.” In addition to tees and onesies, OBLI also offers dresses, kimonos, and yoga pants. If you have a doggie, you’re in luck, because they offer doggie tanks too!

A big thank you to OBLI Organics for their generosity to Sage and Savvy and its readers. They are providing not only a discount, but have made a generous donation for a giveaway as well.

DISCOUNT: OBLI Organics is offering a discount of 20% through August 31, 2008. All you have to do is email them at oblicontact@obliorganics.com with your order (do NOT send any credit card information in the email--OBLI will contact you for your credit card information) and mention the code SAGE20 (cannot be combined with other discounts, and does not apply to gift wrap or shipping).

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Seeryus Mama!

My very first giveaway and the last eligible comment posted was selected by random.org!

GIVEAWAY: OBLI Organics has generously donated an adorable Bee Green dress (size 18-24 months, valued at $36), perfect for the long hot days of summer. How can you enter the giveaway?

Here’s how:

• Visit OBLI Organics and leave me a comment on which design you like the best.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you 1) Subscribe to my feed; 2) Blog about this giveaway and link back to both Sage and Savvy and OBLI Organics; be sure to leave a comment for each "entry"
• The deadline for entries is August 7, 2008, 11:59pm HST.
• The winner will be notified via email on August 8, 2008 (make sure your contact information is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• A winner from all eligible entries will be chosen by random.org.
• Valid for US addresses only.

So what are you waiting for? Visit OBLI Organics, try your luck at the giveaway, and use the Sage and Savvy discount so your kids (and doggies) can look eco-fashionable too!

Thank you to OBLI Organics for providing the product(s) for review and/or giveaway.

Many articles and books say that absent-mindedness is common during pregnancy. For me, it seems like it occurs more frequently now that I'm pregnant with #2.

Yesterday we took DS to the dentist. Before I went into the office I went to use the restroom. When I was done I went to the sink to wash my hands. There were 2 sinks. I went to sink #1 since someone was at sink #2. I dispensed the soap from a dispenser that was on the wall, and noticed the sink was installed with those metering faucets—you know, where you have to push down on a “handle” to turn the water on and it automatically shuts off after a few seconds.

So, I pushed down on the handle, the water went on, and I washed my hands. However, my hands were still soapy and I needed to turn on the water again.

But something happened in the mere seconds that lapsed between the time I turned the water on and the time the water shut off, because somehow I forgot I needed to push the handle again to turn the water on, and I thought the faucet was one of those “automatic” ones where the water comes out when you put your hands underneath the sensor. I did see the push handle, but for some reason I thought that was the soap dispenser, completely forgetting that it was on the wall! So I kept moving my hands underneath the faucet, but no water came out. I thought that was strange since I just used it. I tried sink #2 and moved my hands around under that faucet…still no water!

Then I went back to sink #1 and had the biggest “DUH” moment. I realized I needed to push the handle again to turn on the water and it wasn’t an automatic faucet. How could I have thought it was an automatic faucet when I JUST pushed the handle???

To make matters worse—the lady who was originally at sink #2 was there the whole time! I noticed her watching me while she was drying her hands, and I didn’t think anything of it, but now I know she was probably wondering “what is she doing?”

It was embarrassing enough I had this “episode,” but to have a complete stranger watching made it worse…

Lately, instead of the usual catalogs and bills, I've been getting some really cool things in the mail—like this “cool” Penguin shirt for DS, made from 100% organic cotton and printed with water-based inks from Little Green Star.

Thank you to Little Green Star for sponsoring the product(s) for review and/or giveaway!

I started my career with the Airlines. But just a few months shy of celebrating my ten-year anniversary, my career ended abruptly, along with the Company's existence.

No one could have imagined it. At least I couldn’t, and a lot of my former co-workers couldn’t.

Working for the Airlines was wonderful. Not only did I have a great job, but the flying benefits were a great perk, of course. There are so many places I still wish I could see, and I was looking forward to one day taking my kids on international trips…but at least I did take advantage of my flying benefits while I could.

There’s so many highlights from all of the numerous trips we’ve been on…taking pictures with crocodiles in a crocodile farm in Cancun (looking back, that was DUMB, but at the time I thought it was neat), going to the Sumo stables in Tokyo, getting hooked on french fries and gravy in Victoria (I crave them all the time now), and bringing home lots and lots of goodies from Trader Joe’s. And at least we got to go on two trips with DS before the Company shut its doors.

Ten years…

I’ve learned a lot, gained a lot of experience and knowledge, and made a lot of wonderful friends and memories. And I actually met DH because of this Company!

Although I still get sad when I think about what’s been lost, I still have countless blessings, including my home, my health, and my family. I did find a part-time job with flexible hours and the option to work at home on occasion, but everything happens for a reason, and now I get to spend more time being a mommy!

It’s nice to know that since I started this blog, a lot of my friends have been so supportive and have shared their experiences with me about their efforts in trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Now, I’m not by any means an expert on eco-friendliness. I actually consider myself to be a rather “light shade of green.” I still buy non-organic clothes and foods, but if I can afford it and it’s available, I’ll definitely opt for the organic product. But I’m trying to do my best, one product at a time, one step at a time.

I started this blog just last month and already I have gained so much knowledge and found so many great products. Best of all, I’ve found some really great blogs and many “blogging friends” that inspire me in so many ways, and I’ll be featuring some of them in future posts.

I also really admire all the mommies (and daddies) out there who started their own companies and created their own organic and eco-friendly products for us and our little ones to use.

All of the feedback I have been getting about this blog as well as on the products I’ve used and should try are very much appreciated. I will continue to do my best to seek out Sage and Savvy products and companies and share my finds with all of you.

Thank you!

Are you or your kids crunchy? What does crunchy mean? According to Kristen Bassick, a mother of two and creator of Stuff for Sprouts, a natural skin care line for kids, crunchy refers to when one is all dried out and itchy. Kristen developed her Stuff for Sprouts line after trying numerous products to address her own “sprouts’” crunchy conditions. Her website states her products are “Fun, natural skin care for kids. Because kids shouldn’t crunch.” All her products have no parabens and phthalates, so you’ll feel comfortable applying them on your own “sprout,” or even on yourself. I was eager to try out the samples I received of her Blueberry Muffin Cream and Chocolate Lip Stuff. Even though her products were developed for children, adults can (and should) use them too.

The Blueberry Muffin Cream smells really good. Its smooth, light consistency goes on very easily. Did I mention how good it smells? I applied the Cream on one of the driest parts of my body—my heels, and after a few days they were noticeably softer and smoother. The Cream worked really well!

I was also very pleased with the results of the Lip Stuff. I recently posted my experience with another brand of lip balm that produced good results, so I was anxious to see if Lip Stuff would be just as good. The Lip Stuff had a slight chocolate fragrance. Its wide tube makes it easy to apply on squirmy kids with just one swipe, but since I used it on myself, I just turned the tube sideways to apply the Stuff on.

Well, the Lip Stuff is good. How good? So good, that I’ve kissed my chapped lips goodbye, and I hope they’ll never return. I was amazed at how well the Stuff worked, and so quickly too!

Stuff for Sprouts products are truly effective and I recommend you try them out for yourself! Kristen has generously offered Sage and Savvy readers a discount of 15% off your purchase through August 31, 2008. Just use coupon code SAGSAV15 at checkout (cannot be combined with other discounts). Don’t miss out on this special offer! Her "Stuff” really works, and you’ll feel confident and comfortable using her products on yourself, as well as on your own little “sprouts.”

Thank you to Stuff for Sprouts for sponsoring the product(s) for review and/or giveaway!

I have the worst luck with portrait studios.

The first time we took DS to get his portrait taken, we went to a popular portrait studio. Unfortunately, our photographer was awful, and so was the sales person. The “best” photo of all the ones available was one in which DS had tears in his eyes and a frown on his face. Of course I can reflect on it now and laugh at the photo, but at the time, I was pretty upset.

A couple of weeks later we decided to take DS to another portrait studio. We had a much better experience. The only complaint I had was that the photographer was too slow in snapping the photos. She missed a lot of good shots, but I was happy with the photos she did take.

We decided to take DS back to portrait studio #2 to get photos for the grandmas for Mother's Day. Over 3 months later, I have yet to receive my portraits. To make a long story short, they messed up on my order…big time. I’ve been speaking to the manager and she’s been really helpful, and she just left me a message today with a possible resolution. So there’s still hope I may get my portraits. I already received a refund, but I’d rather have the portraits. One of the associates said that in the worst case scenario, they’d just do a re-shoot, but regardless of whether or not I end up getting the portraits, I doubt I’ll be back there again.

*SIGH*

Now I just have to figure out where I’ll be taking DS for his next portraits…

I’ve been to two baby stores within the past month and have been very disappointed with their limited selections of organic clothing and baby care items. Fortunately, there are several companies online who sell quality organic products. One such company is Kee-Ka. Their website states “Kee-Ka (a name inspired by the sweet babbling of infants) strives to deliver expressive, eco-chic apparel and gifts for the littlest and most significant people in your life…crafting fashionable products in socially and ecologically responsible ways: using 100% certified organic cotton and low-impact dyes..."

A while ago when I bought the Brookies from Sam’s Club, I also bought a box of Snikiddy Snacks. Their website states “Snikiddy is a shortened (and, let’s face it, easier to say) form of the word persnickety, which means choosy or picky.” They are a “new line of organic food products that parents can feel good about giving to their children (or eating themselves!).”

What a perfect match for me—I’m a very picky eater, and I’m trying to eat healthier, organic foods. I actually bought these snacks for both myself and my son. In the box were two types of snacks—Grilled Cheese Puffs and Chocolate Chippers.

My son loves the Grilled Cheese Puffs, which are “toasted wheat-free corn puffs with melting cheese.” The pack has quite a bit of puffs for the little guy, so I usually end up giving him half a pack at a time. Sometimes he asks for “more,” and I’m happy to oblige. What I like about them (other than being organic) is that they are crunchy and light, and they don’t leave as much cheesy “residue” on your fingers as some other brands. I can’t honestly say that it tastes like Grilled Cheese, but the cheese flavor is just right—it’s not overwhelming.

The Chocolate Chippers are “made with organic dark chocolate chunks, Rapadura whole organic cane sugar and whole wheat flour. They are low in sugar, ‘kiddy bite-size’ and just crispy enough so there won’t be any crumbs left behind.” My son loves these too. How do I know? Like the Cheese Puffs, he keeps asking for “more.” Although I’m a milk chocolate fan, I think these little cookies are great. I do break them up for my son because I think they’re still a bit too big for little DS, and as for me—I just pop them in my mouth and enjoy. The cookies are not too sweet, and not too soft or crispy. And the only crumbs left behind are the ones I make when I break up the cookies for little DS to eat.

I’ve seen these snacks at Sam’s Club for a while, and I wish I had bought them a long time ago. These are organic snacks that my son and I will continue to indulge in whenever we’re hungry for a yummy snack.

Padimate, arachidyl propionate, camphor, isopropyl myristate, phenyl trimethicone, propylparaben…

Since I was running low on California Baby Sunscreen, I decided to look for and try out another brand. After doing some browsing online and researching the EWG database, I ordered Sunny Days SPF 30+ Natural Mineral Sunscreen by TruKid via babycenter.com (it came in a Healthy Habits Pack which included Friendly Face Wash, Happy Face and Body Lotion, Bubbly Body Bar, Spiffy Spearmint Lip Balm, Mini Hero Stick, and a Bonus CD with original TruKid music, all in a zippered travel case).

TruKid was developed by CEO Jennifer Adams Bunkers, a mother of 5. The website states they are “The only all natural and organic body, hair and skin care line created specifically for kids. Made from natural ingredients and essential oils, TruKid products are safe, non-toxic and paraben, SLS and phthalate free.”

Yesterday, before DS’s walk with his Daddy, we tried out the sunscreen. The first thing we noticed was the pleasant citrus smell. As we applied the sunscreen on DS, it went on with ease. It wasn’t too thick or runny, and it was a nice creamy consistency that wasn't oily or sticky. After we were confident we applied it everywhere necessary, DS and DH went off on their walk.

This is a great product that I know I will buy again in the future. We are fortunate that there are moms out there like Jennifer with the vision and drive to create such products for the safety and well-being of our children. I can’t wait to try out the other goodies in the Healthy Habits Pack!

I don’t know anyone who likes to clean bathrooms. I surely don’t. However, when I do clean the bathroom, using the Tub+Tile Soap Scum and Stain Remover by method makes bathroom cleaning a little more tolerable.

As with all method products, they are “biodegradable, never tested on animals, and packaged in recyclable materials.” The product is “made from naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients; safe and effective on any surface water won't harm.”

My son is afraid, that’s who! Well, I’m not talking about a real rodent. I’m talking about Chuck E. Cheese! We decided to take DS to Chuck E. Cheese today for the first time. We sat in the showroom so he could watch the animatronics, but he didn’t pay much attention. When we took him up close to see the animatronic characters, he told us “no, no, no” and started to cry. Chuck E. Cheese even came by to say hello and DS swiftly turned his head the other way. At least he didn’t start screaming.

We thought maybe he’d enjoy the rides and other toddler activities more, so after a yummy lunch of pizza and breadsticks, we took DS into the toddler zone. He liked sitting in the different cars while they were stationary, and he had fun spinning the steering wheels, but once DH put in that token and the cars started moving—out came the tears! Poor thing!

Well, at least next time we go we won’t have to buy any tokens since we have lots of tokens left over from today’s visit!

When I worked for an airline, I did a lot of traveling, and one of the things I truly enjoyed about traveling was eating. Yes, eating. I enjoyed not only eating at restaurants that we don’t have here in Hawaii, but I enjoyed seeking out each island’s, state’s or country’s popular edibles.

The last time I went to Canada, two things that were on my “must buy” list were Clodhoppers and Original Two-Bite Brownies. Imagine my delight when I went to Sam’s Club this morning and saw they were selling an Original Two-Bite product—Brookies—a combination brownie & chocolate chip cookie.

I know, I know. They’re not the healthiest, but I did buy some organic snacks which I’ll post about later after I try them.

As for the Brookies—they were okay—a little on the dry side (I rather have the brownies). I think they would have been better with a nice glass of milk…while sitting in a hotel room in Canada…

I need to get my hands on some organic gummy bears!

Although I try to eat healthy, I’m human. I don’t normally eat gummy bears, but I’ve been craving them since I became pregnant.

A few months ago I bought a gigantic bag of gummy bears (there were no organic options) from Sam’s Club. The gummy bears not only satisfied my cravings, but they somehow managed to ease my nausea. It didn’t take too long before the bag was emptied. So I had to buy another.

I know. Not the healthiest. So to help ease my guilt I’ve been trying to eat more fruit. DS loves fruit too, and I try to only buy organic fruit. I do try and stay away from the Dirty Dozen (below, as noted by the EWG) if I can’t find organic varieties. If organic is not available, then I try to buy “Island Fresh” (grown in Hawaii).

Dirty Dozen in descending order of most pesticide exposure: Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Pears, Grapes (Imported), Spinach, Lettuce, Potatoes

While I try to stick to fruit rather than fruity-flavored snacks, like gummy bears, I’d still like to find some organic gummy bears. If anyone knows where I can get organic gummy bears from in Hawaii, please let me know!

I’ve been reading a lot about the “Slow Food Movement” lately, which made me think about North Shore Farms. A while ago we went to the Wahiawa Pineapple Festival. I was getting hungry, so I strolled past the food booths until something caught my eye: Fried Zucchini being offered by North Shore Farms (I think the sign said the zucchini was organic, but I can’t remember…I can’t remember a lot of things these days…and I blame it on the pregnancy! He he.) I love fried zucchini. They were also offering Fried Green Tomatoes and Fresh Pesto Grilled Pizza. I bought zucchini for myself and a slice of pizza for DH.

The zucchini was deep fried—not too oily, and perfectly cooked. It was coated with parmesan and served with a dressing (sorry, but I don’t remember what kind). The pieces were a bit too huge—I think they should have been cut smaller. Other than that, it was yummy. As for the pizza…I took a bite of DH’s slice, then after wished I had bought a slice for myself! It’s made with homemade pesto and mozzarella. It was delicious! Thinking about it makes me hungry. You can head down to the North Shore or to the KCC Farmer’s market to check them out, or check out their website to find out where you can find their yummy items. For those not living in Hawaii—they even showcase in California!

To try and make bath time more exciting for my son, I thought I should try a bubble bath. I researched bubble baths in the EWG database, and ended up buying California Baby’s Calming Bubble bath via babycenter.com. Among its features: Contains organic and sustainably grown ingredients; No Sodium lauryl sulfate, DEA, or numbing agents; No synthetic fragrances.

It also states “No Tears,” but there were lots of tears…not because of anything in the Bubble Bath, but turns out my son was afraid of the bubbles! Awwww…We did try a bubble bath again days later, and he still was afraid, but not as much as the first time. We’ll just have to keep on trying.

The bottle also states that “Because this is not a synthetic bubble bath you must help the bubbling process along by shaking/agitating bubbles under vigorously running water at the start of tub filling. Also try stimulating bubbles with your showerhead.” Although this specific brand of bubble bath didn’t produce lots and lots of bubbles, it produced just enough. This turned out to be a good thing, especially for my son, who turned out to be afraid of them!

I think this is a great product and I can't wait to try the other scents California Baby has to offer.

An LA Times article by Maria Cone, warned of fireworks and how “traces of metals, fuels and other toxics can stay in the air and water for days, even months. Scientists are creating cleaner versions, but they're still not widely used.”

I read that in an article the morning of July 4. What a way to start the day, especially since DH and I were planning to take our son to his first fireworks show (at the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park). Although the article was discouraging and made me worry, we already had the evening planned, and I still wanted my son to (hopefully) enjoy the fireworks. In Hawaii, fireworks are not as popular on the 4th of July as they are on New Year’s Eve, so I was hoping the exposure to whatever the fireworks left behind would be minimal.

Well, to make a long story short, we didn’t get to see the fireworks show because we (and many, many other people) were misinformed about the start time. It was to start about an hour later than we were all advised. My son was getting restless, and I was too. So, we headed on back home. Maybe it was a sign…

Even though we didn’t get to see the fireworks show, we were all together as a family, and that’s what mattered.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

When I was researching sunscreens for my son, I found out that a lot of people looked up the safety of personal care products on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. It’s an informational site which rates the “safety” of all sorts of products—sunscreen, bubble bath, toothpaste, etc.

I used the site to help me decide which sunscreen to purchase (see California Baby post), as well as what other products to buy. Not every brand or product you know of is listed, but the site continues to expand its database.

You may think the database is helpful…you may think it’s hogwash. I personally find the site very useful and informative and will use it whenever I’m researching a new product.